American Board of Ophthalmology (ABO) Practice Exam 2025 – The Complete All-in-One Guide to Exam Success

Cataracts are a condition specifically characterized by the opacification or clouding of the lens of the eye. This clouding interferes with the passage of light to the retina, leading to symptoms such as blurry vision, difficulty seeing at night, and increased sensitivity to glare. As the condition progresses, individuals may experience significant visual impairment, which can affect daily activities.

In contrast, astigmatism is a refractive error caused by an irregular shape of the cornea or lens, leading to blurred or distorted vision, but it does not involve opacification of the lens. Macular degeneration primarily affects the retina and leads to progressive loss of central vision, again without involving clouding of the lens. Retinal detachment refers to the separation of the retina from its underlying supportive tissue, which can result in vision loss but also does not involve opacification of the lens.

Thus, cataracts are uniquely associated with lens opacification, making this condition the correct answer regarding visual impairment related to lens changes.